Russia Negotiates Its Biggest Arms Deal With Egypt Since The Cold War After Obama Cuts Defence Aid
Russia is negotiating its biggest weapons deals with Egypt since the Cold War as it seeks to capitalize on U.S. President Barack Obamas decision to cut defence aid to the military-backed government.
Egypt is seeking as much as US$2 billion in Russian weaponry, including MiG-29 fighter planes, air-defence systems and anti-tank missiles, said Ruslan Pukhov, a member of the Russian Defence Ministrys advisory board and head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.
The Russian defence and foreign ministers will fly to Cairo this week for two days of talks with Egyptian officials on military-technical cooperation, Russias Foreign Ministry said Nov. 8. Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy confirmed the arms talks in an interview with Russias state-run Arabic language channel RT Tuesday.
The Obama administration last month suspended some military aid to Egypt, including US$260 million in cash and deliveries of F-16 fighter jets, helicopters and tanks in an effort to prod the North African country toward democracy. Egypts army ousted President Mohamed Mursi in July, leading to clashes between security forces and Mursis supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood that have left more than 1,000 people dead.
The Russian visit sends a strong political message that stresses the desire of Russia to bolster relations and cooperate with Egypt in all fields, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty said by phone Tuesday. This doesnt mean substituting one party with another but rather diversifying the alternatives and choices.
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http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/12/russia-negotiates-its-biggest-arms-deal-with-egypt-since-the-cold-war-after-barack-obama-cuts-defence-aid/